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May 21, 1946. r H.y J. SATTLE CQNTAINER Fi'lve sept. 15, 1942 PatentedMay 21, 1946 2,400,71lsv UNITED sTATEsPATENT oFFlcE .CONTAINER Hugh J. Sattler, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 15, 1942, Serial No. 458,345

' (ci. 22a-107) Claims.

a collapsible tube of the type indicated formed of paper or equivalent material, such as a woven fabric or .the like, as contrasted with soft metal commonly in use heretofore.' In accordance with the invention there, is provided a tube of this sort oil'ering initially alarge volume for the reception of material and which can be collapsed for the extrusion of substantially its entire contents, the tube being completely sealed so that the material may escape only through an outlet opening. j

The features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an interior perspective view of a blank from which the tube ls constructed;

Figure 2 -is a perspective view of the finished tube;

Figure 3 is a perspective view indicating the fashion in which the various folds of the'tube are associated in closing the same; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section illustrating the outlet region of the tube.

While the tube may take various speciiic forms, there is illustrated in Figure 1 a blank 2 from which a preferred form of the tube may be made. This blank comprises a sheet of flexible paper having the characteristics pointed out hereafter. The sheet is formed into a. series of areas separated by salient and reentrant corners, as will be evident from Figure 1, which shows the blank with the folds partially creased and from the finished tube in Figure 2. One side Walllof the finished tube is formed by the area indicated at 4, while the opposite sidewall is formed ultimately by the overlapping of the areas Band 8. Intermediate these are located the pairs of areas I4 and I6 at one side and I8 and 20 at the other. In order to give the nal tubea denite shape, it is desirable to reenforce the areas I4, I6, I8 and 20 by means of reenforcing patches secured thereto at 22, 24, 26 and 28. It will be evident, however, that instead of adhering patches at these locations, the blankl may be coated throughout the same areas with a heavy lacquer or the like providing a sufllcient degree of stiffness. These areas terminate short of the fold lines so as notto interfere with the flexibility necessary to permit collapse as emptying takes place.

Above the levelvof these reenforced areas there is provided a fold line 30 which, as will beevident from Figure 2, permits tapering at the upper end of the finished tube. Above these fold lines are further reenforcements 32 and 34 taking either the form of patches or stiilening coatings.

Integral with the upper end of the wall 4 is a tab 36 defined from the wall by aifold line 38 and carrying tabs 40 and 42 which serve to insure tight closure. I

At the lower end of the Wall 8 is a rectangular extension 54, While similar extensions 46 and 5I are provided at the lower ends of the walls 4 and 6. Between these and at the Same level are regions 56 and 58 having folds as indicated, permitting the formation of reentrant portions, as will be evident in the nal tube. Local reenforcements taking the form ofwpatches or coating areas are provided at 48 and 52 on the regions 46 and 50. Below the various regions'just mentioned, there isa fold line A46, and the regions are provided with lower extensions in the transverse region indicated at 54. At the lowermost end of the central area there is a tab 64 provided with auxiliary tabs 66 and 68. 'Before assembly takes place, there is located through an opening in the upper portion of the wall 4, i. e., through the reenforcement 32, an outlet member 10, which may be adhered to the wall and is desirably reenforced exteriorly by disc 14. The outlet 'lo and the disc are desirably formed of a plastic resin and securing may be effected by pressure tending to integrate to a greater or less extent these elements. The outlet l0 is threaded as indicated at 'l2 for the reception of a conventional closure cap.

'I'he blank is provided with a suitable adhesive, indicated in .the blank of Figure 1 1by stippling. Reference to Figure 3 `will indicate the fashion in which the various folds are brought together to provide the closed tube illustrated in' its final form in Figure 2. It will be noted from these gures that the lower tab 64 and the side tabs 66 and 68 tend to enclose the various lower elements of the blank. Similarly, the upper4 tab 36 and the auxiliary tabs 40 and 42 enclose the upper folds of the blank. To finish the tube, the assembly enclosed by the tab 64 and the auxiliary tabs 66 and Sli-may be movedsidewise and adherecrto the adjacent lower wall portion, i. e., 46, The materialsrused for the formation of the tube are subject to considerable variation." For example, Ait has been found that heavy paper of reasonable flexibility may be used for the blank. The 'fiexibllity, however, need not be great, inasmuch as in ordinary use the foldsare flat, whereupon folding semi-uid contents of flexed but once, passing which they assume when the tube is full to that assumed when the tube is empty and discarded.

In order to prevent penetration of the walls by the material within the tube, the tube is desirably lacquered internally through the use-of a i suitable flexible coating material, the composi- Y tion of which will depend largely upon the material contained in the tube. For example, lacquers of thenitrocellulose or other cellulose 'ester type, suitably plasticized, may be used, or the lacquer may comprise various vinyl ester polylmers such as the polymerof vinyl chloride. Such compositions are well known to the art, and it will -be unnecessary'to describe them in detail, particularly since they vary with the material packed.

As indicated above, the various interior reenforcements which tend toY define and stiien thev the tube into its Vnal used for this purpose is desirably of a type which is not dissolved or attacked by the Ycontents of the tube and may, of a thermoplastic resin capable Vofbeing softened by the application of moderate heat which will not damage the other materials entering into the formation of the tube. For this purpose, the

the

may be accomplished byl the use-ofconventional folding machines to bring condition. TheV adhesive for example, take the form through the condition various conventional i heat-sealingf compositions maybe lused, comprising, for example,v mixtures of waxes and resins or various thermoplastic resins of low softening point. Y

Alternatively, the tube may be formed of laminated papers, closely woven fabrics laminated with each other or with paper, or impregnated with non-penetrable fillers taking the form of semi-flexible compositions comprising synthetic Y plastics or the like.

The reenforcing areas may be provided by. coatings of fairly stii resins, additional plies of impregnated fabric or the like.

It willY be evident that upon sealing as indicated, and particularly in the use of thermoplastic adhesive, all of the openings may be readily completely sealed against the possible escape of the the tube. In the regions where leakage-is most likely to occur, namely,

at the lower and upper folds, :the overlapping tabs serve to insure complete tightness.A

In order to provide for the possibility of comn pletely flattening the tube to extrude substantially all of its contents, it is advantageousto provide the opening at one side thereof asiindicated. It will be evident, however, that the opening may -be provided at the end as in conventional tubes, though in such case thenecessity for providing a support for the opening will, in general,

prevent complete collapse of the upper end of the tube, necessitating the presence of minimum volumetric region from which the contents cannot be pressed.

Filling may be accomplished in various fashions, either through the outlet opening with expansion of the tube from a flattened to its full condition, or at some stage short of "complete a certain l Yother end thereof.

closure whileffor example, the folds at one end are either unsecured or only partially secured together.

It will beV evident that the arrangement ofthe folds, reenforcements and the like, are subject to substantial variation, while `adhering to the principles of the invention as defined Aby the following claims. v

WhatrI claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A collapsible tubey of fibrous material comprising a pair of semi-rigid, approximately plane walls joined by reentrant side walls, each of the latter comprising a plurality of approximately plane walls joined to each other and to the first mentioned plane Walls along well-defined fold lines, each of the plane walls forming the reentrant side walls being reinforced by rigid ma- Yterial arranged so that substantially no distortion of said walls will take place with the reinforcements terminating short of said fold lines walls joined by reentrant side walls, each of theV latter .comprising a plurality of approximately plane walls joined to eachother and to th'eirst mentioned plane vwalls along, well-defined fold lines, each of entrant side walls being reinforced by rigid material arranged so that substantially no distortion of said -walls will take place with the rein- 'forcements'terminating short of said fold lines so that the rigidity of the reinforcement'sdoes not interfere with collapseY of the tube, all of said walls beingY interiorly coated to prevent penetration thereof by semi-fluid contents. and means providing an outlet for the contents of said tube. 3. A collapsible tube of iibrous materialcom-V prising a pair of semi-rigid, approximately plane walls joined by reentrant side Walls, each of the`Y latter comprising aV plurality of approximately plane walls joined to each other and to the first mentioned plane walls along well-defined fold lines, each of the plane walls forming thereentrant side walls being reinforced by rigid material arranged so that substantially no distortion of said walls will take'place with thereinforcements terminating short of lsaid fold/lines so that the rigidity of the reinforcements does not interfere with collapse of the tube, Vsaid various walls being vjoinedk at their ends to provide a Vcollapsible structure, the junctionat one end being of reentrantftype, andrmeans providing ,i

an outlet for theV contents of said tube at the ftion of saidY walls will take place with the reinforcements terminating shortof said fold lines so that the rigidity of the"reinforcementsV does not interfere with collapse ofthe tube, said various'walls being joined at their ends to'provide a collapsible structure, the junction atv one end being of reentrant type, and the junction at the other endbelng of tapering type, and' means the plane walls forming thefrefrk 'of fibrous material comf of semi-rigid, approximately plane forcements terminating short of said fold lines so that the rigidity of the reinforcements does not interfere with collapse of the tube, said various Walls being joined at their ends to provide a collapsible structure, the junction at; one end being of reentrant type and comprising a plurality of approximately plane portions joined "along iiexible fold lines to each other and to the several previously mentioned walls, and means providing an outlet for the contents of said tube at the other end thereof.

HUGH J. SATTLER. 

